Eels building 'something special'

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Promising Parramatta forward Jeremy Latimore is determined to cement his place at the club because he believes the Eels are building a team capable of winning a Premiership in the next few seasons.

Off contract at the end of the year, Latimore is eager to prove his worth to coach Daniel Anderson when the Eels take on the Wests Tigers at Parramatta Stadium tonight.

He says the competition for places is a promising sign for the club and will only improve him as a player.

“We have just made those two big signings, with rumours of more, so the future is very bright at Parramatta,” he said.

“I guess it does put a little more pressure on me to perform with the guys coming in, but that is really out of my control.

“It’ll make me want to play that little bit harder and better, because I really want to be at Parramatta.

“We look like having a team that could be a premiership threat next year with the squad we have building and we still have Hayne and Feleti in the backs, so we could be anything.

“The goal is to keep playing consistent footy and keep my spot in the team.”

But if he needs any proof of his ability to play in the top grade, he need only look back to the 2005 Junior Kangaroos where he played alongside Jarrod Mullen, William Zillman, Scott Bolton and Beau Champion and how they have made the step up to regular NRL football.

Latimore admitted seeing them play in the NRL before him, gave him added incentive as a player.

“Every time one of them would get a game in first grade I would think that I’m one of the only guys from that team not to make it yet,” he said.

“It was a little extra motivation for me, you always hope and dream you’ll get to the NRL one day, and I am so glad I have finally living that dream.

“I thought I was lucky to make that team back then, especially when you look at the players that were in the team, but it was a good experience and probably held me in good stead for the future.”

The clash between the Eels and the Wests Tigers tonight is shaping as a season defining game for both teams.

A win would put the Eels just three points out of the top eight leading into the bye.

“Both teams will be desperate for the points and we will really need to match the Tigers across the park,” he said.

“Hopefully we can run into some form. We have a pretty inexperienced half combination, which doesn’t make it easy, but they did a great job on the weekend and hopefully we can build on that.

“If we can win this week, we have the bye after that, so it is a four point game this one.”